Sunlight Foundation follows lobbyist tweets

The nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation is launching a tool designed to track the personal Twitter activity of Washington’s influence class. Initially, 235 lobbyists appear on the Sunlight Foundation’s list, which its posting on its Twitter handle, @SunFoundation.

While these lobbyist Twitter accounts have always been public, the new list makes it easier for the public to monitor all the accounts at once, the Sunlight Foundation’s Gabriela Schneider said. “This is a way for Americans and people online to see how certain lobbyists are wielding their influence,” Schneider said. “This gives you a window on how Washington works, in real time.” The group is planning to highlight several lobbyists in particular, such as Gregg Hartley, vice chairman and chief operating officer at Cassidy & Associates — an active Twitter user (@gregglhartley) who has this year tweeted about his meetings with various congressmen and pushing for poker legalization. Other lobbyists will be featured for their more personal and overtly political tweets, such as one who calls President Barack Obama a “liar” and another who enjoys quoting old-school rap lyrics.